


Bull Whipped

by i_said_goddameron



Category: Star Wars, Star Wars (Marvel Comics), Star Wars: Shattered Empire
Genre: 1980s AU, 80’s Pop Culture, Dameron Familia, F/M, Halloween, Meet-Cute, shameless flirtation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-31
Updated: 2018-10-31
Packaged: 2019-08-11 02:32:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 810
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16467017
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/i_said_goddameron/pseuds/i_said_goddameron
Summary: At a Halloween party, Kes Dameron finally has a chance to speak to Shara Bey, a beautiful cargo pilot he’s noticed around base. Maybe sparks will fly.





	Bull Whipped

**Author's Note:**

> This little oneshot happens in the Empty Sky Between Us universe, and is Poe’s parents meet-cute.

1984

Moody Air Force Base, Valdosta Georgia. 

——

Kes jogged to the wooden boards propped up on the lawn to fetch the small sacks of corn, turning to look over his shoulder before bending down to pick them up. He couldn’t help it, she was magnetic. Their eyes made contact and she smirked. God help him, she _smirked_. 

His opponent put a hand on her hip and tipped a cowboy hat tauntingly. “My game.”

Inhibitions low, Kes could only stare. One of his favorite things about the service was the diversity of people to meet, from all over the country. People who he might never have a conversation with otherwise. He never expected to meet a girl like Shara Bey, though. The cargo pilot wore a dazzling smile and a cowgirl costume, and didn’t seem to be intimidated by his gaze at all. In fact, she upped the ante. 

“You know how to use that bullwhip, Dameron?”

It took him a moment to remember he was actually carrying a bullwhip from a belt loop, as part of his Indiana Jones costume. His shirt was tore open and one sleeve was missing for theatrical accuracy, and the exposure suddenly felt so vulnerable. He set the bags down and lifted his drink to provide himself with some more courage. Sure, he was dressed as a Nazi-punching badass, and he was arguably some sort of a badass himself, but that didn’t make it much easier to talk her.

He called her bluff. “How ‘bout you show me, cowgirl?”

Laughter bubbled up out of her, and it was like music. The two had been circling each other for weeks, flirtatious looks cast when their paths crossed. As luck would have it, they both arrived at the Halloween party on-base hosted by his friend, Darklighter. Kes finally had the time to introduce himself and his eyes had remained glued to her ever since. She was even more gorgeous up-close, and her laugh was breathtaking. He hadn’t expected to feel this exhilarated. 

Iconic opening notes from “Thriller” blasted from a speaker over the porch, and Shara led him up toward it. Wooden boards creaked under her boots as she climbed the steps to lean against the rail.

“It’s the perfect Halloween song.”

“It is.” Shara had always been a Michael Jackson fan, and she found herself swaying gently. “Too bad all the radio stations have run it into the ground for the past couple years, though.”

“It’s gonna become a classic,” Kes predicted. He took a swig of Budweiser and rested his forearms on the porch rails, trying to look as debonair as possible. “I bet that one day, our kid are gonna be at a Halloween party playing this exact same song.”

Shara choked on her drink, and Kes touched her arm as she sputtered. His touch didn’t seem to be helping matters at all.

“Hey, whoa, was it something I said?” Kes looked concerned. 

“It’s a little early to start thinking about babies, Lieutenant.” Shara tried to recover a sense of casual amusement, but the pink tint in her cheeks communicated that another layer was added to the conversation. “We just met, after all.”

Kes grinned, looking her up and down as he adjusted the fedora that sat atop his buzzed scalp. “Let’s put a pin in that conversation, then. Do you come from a big family?”

”Yeah, they’re still in New York though.” Shara pulled a fistful of spiral curls off her neck and fanned it for a temporary reprieve from the Southern humidity. “Four daughters. We’re only 7 years apart, too.”

”Wow! I don’t envy your dad!”

“We’re all nice girls, thank you very much.” She raised an eyebrow, one that a scar took a slice out of. Kes noticed that she didn’t fill it in with makeup, despite having her eyes done up. She didn’t see it as something that needed correction. “But it’s not for the faint of heart. And you?”

”Just my sister Leia and our mom. She came to the states when I was a baby.” Kes didn’t mention his father- that could be a story for another time- though someone as smart as her could certainly extrapolate what it meant to leave Cuba at that time without the man of the family. She didn’t have to be from the island to understand.

A quiet moment passed in acknowledgement of the mutual attraction blooming between them. Something about the way she looked at him softened. Shara was outspoken and witty, but there was an unexpected undercurrent of warmth to her that he found the moment he let himself drop some of the flirtatious banter. This could be something special. 

Kes Dameron set his Budweiser down on the porch rail and turned to face her comepletely. He offered Shara his hand with a small smile. “Would you like to dance?”


End file.
